The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-04-14


held her tight for a few seconds. 1t
was their betrothal.
II must 90. WILL" she said, looking
at him quietly.
With one more kiss he releases her,
and turned to his post of observation.
At that moment he saw, shooting out
of the grease-wood bushes, an arrow,
having upon it lighted band of dry
bunch-grass. A moment afterwards n
yell from the Indians showed that ii
had stuck in the matched roof. As the
arrow rose out of the bushes old Sam
fired, and the yell of triumph when the
arrow struck was broken by one of an
guish that told that the bullet had
found mark.
The fire arrows began to fly thickly,
some sticking, and some falling short.
The rifles of the two men spoke loudly,
and generally with effect, judging from
the cries. But those of tho Indians
were not silent. They had fired from
time to time, and their bullets striking
the adobe bricks, or the heavy wooden
shutters and doors, had been wasted.
Dr. Blaisdcll was just loading again,
when he heard his name called by
Mabel Going into the other room, he
found the girl supporting her father,
out of whose breast the deep red tide
flowing from bullet hole showed that
the old man had not long to live.
Guess I'm beyond patching this
time, Doc.," said the old man, with
grim smile, as Blaisdell knelt down be-
side him. 1.-THE roofs on fire, and
it's bout time to quit. Mabel knows
the trap-door. Take care of her. She's
rich. She knows where it's hid.
Swear you will take care of her." re-
peated the dying man, with startling
emphasis, as he seized the young
mans arm.
mabel will be my wife, please God,
if we get out of this alive"
The old man smiled, looked at his
daughter with intense affection, and
sank back dead.
Carefully examining the body for a
moment. Blaisdell rose, and lifting the
weeping girl. said; cts all over, Ma
BEL" Giving her a moment or two
for her sorrow, he asked:
"Where is the trap he spoke OFF"
Mabel sank on her knees beside the
body, and kissed her fathers dead
face passionately. Then rising she
took her lovers hand and led him into
her fathers room. Opening cupboard,
she showed him trap-door, which,
when he had raisid it, was seen to COW
er tunnel. Descending into this by a
ladder, and shutting the trap after
them, the two made their way along
the tunnel until they reached what
seemed to be the foot of a cleft in the
rock. Here was a ladder up which
the girl climbed. followed by the doc
tor Reaching the top of it, they found
another resting on a little shelf of rock.
Up this and two others they went, to
emerge at the top of the bluff.
ale dug the tunnel and put the lad
ders in long ago" said Mabel with a
sob.
Blaisdell kissed her, and led her to
slo oo,.o1 lofnro than, mhara MARA
the three animals Old Sam had placed
there the evening before.
Mounting Mabel upon one of them
Blaisdell got on the other, and direct
ed their way along the mountain trail
They did not talk much. although a
word now and then showed her how
much his sympathies were excited.
The next day they reached Prescott,
where they were married.
Some four months afterwards-th
Indian raid having been put to an end
to by the troops-Mabcl said to her
husband:
''Will, why don't you go and get the
dust?"
What dust, sweet one?"
"Why father had lot of gold dust
hidden in the tunnel. He used to get
it up the canon"
How much of 1t is there, MabelP"
IL don't know, dear; but think we
had better 60 and see."
When they arrived at the old house,
or rather, its ruins. Blaisdell found
that to get into the tunnel there was 6
graat deal of stuff 10 be cleared away.